A stirring world (3)

 

Norham castle, near Berwick-upon-Tweed

In autumn 1593 Robert Carey, cousin to Elizabeth I and deputy warden of the English West March, found himself in a tight spot. He had pursued two Scottish murderers to a certain tower near Carlisle, only to find himself confronted by a small army of four hundred Scottish cavalry. These men were riders or 'Reivers', who had galloped over the border to rescue their kin from Carey's justice.

Carey described this episode in his memoir, written many years later. The English borderers, gathered under his banner, pleaded with him to let them attack the Scots. He quotes their speech:

'Sir, give us leave to set upon them, for these are they that have killed our fathers, our brothers, our uncles and our cousins, and they are come thinking to surprise you, upon weak grass nags, such as they could get on a sudden, and God hath put them into your hands, that we may take revenge upon them for much blood that they have spilt of ours'.

Carey had no desire to trigger a bloodbath. He asked his men to be patient awhile, while he thought of some alternative. In the end, in his own words, he decided 'to give them [the English] a fair answer, but not their desire'.

Thus, he told the English borderers that if he was not there himself, they would be free to spill as much blood as they pleased. However, since he was there, acting as the Queen's representative, it would lie heavy on his conscience to permit so much killing. Therefore he begged them to have a little forbearance. If, in good time, the Scots still refused to withdraw, then they could have their battle.

The borderers were displeased with this answer, but reluctantly obeyed. Carey then sent a messenger to the Scots, who advised them to 'back away with all the speed they could, for if they stayed the messenger's return, they should few of them return to their own home'.

No doubt much to Carey's relief, the Scots turned about and rode back to their own country. This was only sensible: the English borderers, reinforced by Carlisle militia, outnumbered them at least two to one. Carey was not slow in congratulating himself for this piece of work:

'Thus by God's mercy I escaped a great danger, and by my means there was a great many men's lives saved that day'.

Carey's next adventure on the Border occured on the opposite side, the East March, where he was made Deputy Warden after the death of the previous incumbent, Sir John Selby. Lord Hunsdon, Carey's father, secured the post for his son on condition that Carey also took possession of Norham castle. This was held by his brother, whom Carey was obliged to pay a hundred pounds per annum for the captaincy. As he notes sourly in his memoir, Carey was also obliged to pay his greedy sibling the interest on a separate lease worth six hundred pounds a year. 

Once the money matters were settled, Carey took up his new position. His first action was to contact Sir Robert Kerr, the Scottish Warden of the opposite March, and ask to meet at some quiet spot where they could discuss the affairs of the border. Kerr replied that he would be delighted.

So far, so good. Little did Carey know what Kerr had in mind.